Paul Walker, a star of the popular Fast and The Furious movie franchise, died Saturday afternoon in a fiery car crash in a Los Angeles suburb.

The news broke on celebrity news site TMZ and quickly spread on social media. The “tragic car accident” was confirmed in the evening by the actor’s publicist, Ame Van Iden, and later on his Facebook page.

A message linked to Walker’s Twitter account — “@RealPaulWalker” — said Walker, 40, died while riding in a friend’s car at a charity event in Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles.

Police, who were still investigating Saturday evening, would only say two people were dead. They would not confirm who the driver was.

Witnesses told the Santa Clarita Valley Signal that the actor had been behind the wheel. However, a message on his Facebook page said he “was a passenger in a friend’s car, in which both lost their lives.”

The actor starred with Vin Diesel in seven Fast and Furious films. The seventh was to be released next year.

The movies, which have earned Universal Studios more than $2.3 billion (U.S.) to date, have illegal street racing as a theme.

The Facebook message said Walker had been attending a charity car show for “his organization Reach Out Worldwide” to raise funds for Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in the Philippines.

With files from Star wire services

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